Scholarship Essay Entry – Adam D.

There are many ways in which one can improve the lives of the people living around them. My dream is to improve the lives of children within my own city by setting up a non-profit basketball program for kids in Edmonton. I plan on running my program with the assistance many of my former teammates who were with me in our amazing high school city championship season this past year. In the basketball program which I will call B.A.S.K.E.T. (BE ACTIVE, SPORTS KEEPS EVERYONE TOGETHER), I plan to build a safe place for kids to come out and play basketball. B.A.S.K.E.T. would offer services on a drop in basis where the kids could come in and play whenever they wanted. There would not be a cost for the kids to play as we would fund our program through donations and fundraisers. I plan on offering kids under the age of 19 the opportunity to get out off the streets and enjoy life. They would learn the skills and techniques needed to play basketball both for fun and for their schools. Our program would include an "open gym" playing court where kids could come and go as they please and play pick-up ball. As well, there will be a program where we would help the children learn all they need, to improve their game through coaching, from both myself and my former teammates. I believe that, by offering kids from Edmonton the opportunity to learn to play, enjoy, and improve their skills in the great game of basketball, it could set them up for a much better life. It would teach them that there are better things to do with their time and effort than hanging out on the streets or perhaps, participating in crimes. The sport of basketball has the power to change people's lives and make them better citizens because of the hard work one must commit to in order to improve and become the best player they can. To achieve my goal of setting up B.A.S.K.E.T., I am on taking both business and basketball courses at the University of Alberta in the upcoming years. I believe that my idea to set up a non-profit basketball program to help kids get off the street and play a great game could help change their lives, my community, and even the world.